Vanessa Baugh’s vaccine moves break Manatee residents’ trust in government | Opinion
“You can’t trust the government” is a perception that I deal with on a daily basis. It’s a perception that I heard throughout my career as a planner and I always told citizens that they had the power to drive their community’s priorities and the government was there to help. As a county commissioner, I find this negative perception is stronger than ever, and I assure those whom I speak with that Manatee County is fully focused on serving our citizens. All citizens.
Well, the actions this week have just set us back several giant steps.
By now everyone has heard the latest controversy. Gov. Ron DeSantis brought a pop-up vaccine clinic to Lakewood Ranch, which was great news. Despite how some media outlets have portrayed the story, I was grateful he brought extra doses to Manatee; after all, these vaccines are more desirable than front row seats to a Stones concert. (OK, that may be a stretch, but you get my point.)
The problem was created when commission Chairwoman Vanessa Baugh didn’t honor our randomized waiting pool, where everyone had a fair shake at an appointment. She decided to only allow appointments from two zip codes in her district and disregard the board’s decision — which she supported — to treat all citizens fairly.
Wait! What? For the life of me, I don’t know how she got there and didn’t ask herself if this was a bad move. I can imagine those helping her to create this privileged group warned her of the optics. But she was happy with and proud of her decision, and even publicly said that if she had it to do over again, she would do it exactly the same way.
I believe her, as we learned soon after this news flash that in addition to the special pool, she had also created a VIP list. The list included herself and friends to ensure they were at the front of the line when the clinic opened. Look, the only VIP list we have is the one that includes all citizens 65 years and older who want a vaccine. This is how the governor prioritized the first round of vaccines for Florida and this is what local governments are required to execute.
How many times do we have to shout that a worldwide pandemic is a public health crisis that should not be politicized? And creating a privileged pool of vaccine recipients and a VIP list is not about Republicans and Democrats, it’s about what’s right and wrong. These moves were wrong, wrong, wrong.
So there you have it. And this is exactly why people hate politics and don’t trust their government. We are here to provide services and treat everyone the same, and when we don’t, citizens feel disenfranchised. I don’t blame them.
I am someone who stands up for fairness and honesty. And if anyone deserves extra attention, it’s those who are less fortunate, sick, or hurting. The people who others overlook and forget. That is what public service means to me.
Misty Servia is a Manatee County Commissioner who represents south county and a certified land use planner. You can reach her at misty.servia@mymanatee.org
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 10:56 AM.